30 photos that show how Team USA's Winter Olympics uniforms have changed over time

Members of the US Olympic figure skating team who competed in 1948 (left) and 1992.
Michael Nash/AP and Marcy Nighswander/AP

The first Winter Olympics was held in 1924 in Chamonix, France, and athletes dressed for function rather than flash.

Hockey players wore less protective gear in the 1936 Olympics than they do now.

In the 1950s, figure skating apparel became lighter and more embellished.

Speedskaters have also traded in thicker sweaters for sleek bodysuits.

When it comes to style, Olympic athletes have come a long way since the first Winter Games in 1924. Back then, bobsledders competed in thick sweaters and leggings. Figure skaters dressed for function rather than flash. And skiers wore nondescript clothing, not sponsored gear.

In the decades since, athlete's uniforms have evolved to keep up with new safety regulations and advancements in winter sports. Speedskaters now compete in aerodynamic bodysuits. Figure skaters tailor their costumes to their performances. And hockey players must wear helmets and other safety equipment.

Below, see how Team USA's uniforms have changed across multiple Winter Olympic sports, from the first games in Chamonix, France, to the current ones in Pyeongchang, South Korea. We included photos from every Winter Olympics except for the 1928 games in St. Moritz, Switzerland, for which we could not find any available pictures.

1936: Bobsledders also did not wear much safety equipment in the sport's early days.

As Darrell Ingham, the senior archive editor at Getty Images, previously told INSIDER, there used to be "very little regard to any form of safety" in bobsled. Bobsledders did not wear helmets; they just leaned in and held on, Ingham said.

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1948: Figure skating events were once held outdoors, so skaters had to wear heavy clothing to stay warm.

Members of the US figure skating team, including Richard Button (center), who competed in 1948.
Michael Nash/AP

At the 1948 Winter Games in St. Moritz, Switzerland, 18-year-old American Richard "Dick" Button took home the gold medal in men's figure skating. Button landed a double axel jump at the Winter Games that year and is credited with being the first skater to do so successfully in a competition.

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1948: Like figure skaters, skiers also used to wear thick sweaters and other heavy clothing instead of waterproof jackets and pants.

In St. Moritz, Washington-native Gretchen Fraser took home the silver in the combined event in women's alpine skiing. Fraser also took home the US' first Olympic gold medal in skiing for her run in the women's slalom race.

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1952: The US women's ski team showed off their official ski suits at the sixth Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway.

Members of the US women’s ski team who competed in 1952.
Uncredited photographer/AP

That year, American alpine skier Andrea Mead Lawrence took home the gold in the women's giant slalom and slalom events.

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1952: Photos from the games in Oslo show how athletes often wore identical uniforms during training sessions, just like they do today.

"Doris believed that the particular green hue, reminiscent of the herbal liqueur, would subliminally cause French audiences to cheer on her daughter, which would in turn boost Fleming's confidence," NBC Sports wrote.

2018: This year, American snowboarders are wearing minimalist uniforms, designed by Burton, that are meant to look like astronaut suits.

The uniform is "a heavy nod to Americana," Greg Dacyshyn, the head designer of Burton's Olympic uniform program, told Snowboarder Magazine. "Its main influence is the iconic suits of the United States' leading space exploration program."